Scriptwriting

﻿A course for anyone interested in writing scripts, either for stage, film, TV or radio, with practical guidance on the differences between each medium, and how to choose the right medium for your story. The course will also look at how to format your scripts, and what to consider before submitting them to production companies, theatres, or agents.

Over eight modules the course covers;

Starting to write – Where to find ideas and sources of inspiration. The idea, the story, and the difference between the two.

Characters – Who are your characters and how can you build them? How do you create characters that are both original and recognisable? How do you use characters drive a script?

Conflict and intrigue – How to create action from big events and small events. Identifying what is at stake in your story, and heightening tension in your script.

Dialogue – What you need to say and what you should show. Finding a voice for your characters. Writing natural dialogue and getting back story across without exposition.

Settings - Creating the non-verbal greeting for an audience. Why setting is so much more than a stage set.

The story and the plot – How one story can produce several scripts, and how stories can move forward by moving backwards or sideways. What keeps an audience interested and what turns an audience off?

Beats, scenes, sequences and acts – the surface structure of plays. What each consists of, and how to use them to plan and structure your writing.

Treatments, outlines and synopses – What are they? Should you do them? When should you do them?

From the outset, the course is aimed at driving you towards a finished script, giving you the building blocks of scriptwriting, along with guidance on where to find ideas, and putting the learning into practice so that you can tell the story you want to tell in the way you want to tell it.

The course can be taken online, as personal tuition, on a group basis, or as any combination of these. You will receive written feedback on all homework, and can work at your own pace, so that you don’t have to rush exercises or homework.

For personal tuition the course costs £80 per module or £560 for all eight modules if paid in advance.

The online course costs £60 per module or £400 for all eight modules if paid in advance.

For enquiries about costs for other tuition options, to apply for the course, or for any further information, please complete the enquiry form below. ﻿